Hornets Make Blockbuster Deal: Finney-Smith Lands in Charlotte
The Charlotte Hornets are aggressively reshaping their roster, acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and a trove of draft picks, significantly boosting their future assets. These moves follow earlier blockbuster trades for Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, and Royce O'Neale, signaling a strategic rebuilding phase. The Houston Rockets also made key offseason additions and created a trade exception.
The Charlotte Hornets have been notably active in the offseason, strategically acquiring veteran role players and a significant number of draft assets. Most recently, the Hornets are set to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith and three additional second-round picks from the Houston Rockets. These picks include a 2027 pick via Memphis and 2028 and 2033 picks from Houston, bringing Charlotte's total to an impressive 20 second-round picks over the next seven years, ranking second-highest in the NBA for tradeable picks.
For the Houston Rockets, this trade provides crucial roster flexibility following their acquisitions of Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic. The move also generates a substantial $13 million trade exception for Houston, aiding their future financial maneuvers.
Charlotte's offseason activity extends beyond the Finney-Smith deal. Earlier, the team made a significant move by trading their franchise point guard and fan favorite, LaMelo Ball, along with Josh Green, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, the Hornets received Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps, and three future second-round picks. This was followed by another impactful trade where longtime Hornet veteran forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick were sent to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick.
These roster overhauls come after a remarkable turnaround season for the Hornets, who won 44 games, a significant improvement from their 19 victories the prior season. After a slow start at 11-23 on January 2, Charlotte went on to win 32 of their next 45 games, boasting the top-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense in the NBA from January 1 to the end of the regular season. Despite a thrilling overtime play-in win against Miami, their playoff hopes were dashed after a decisive loss to Orlando in the final play-in game, extending their NBA-longest playoff drought since 2016.
Looking ahead, new additions and retained players are expected to play pivotal roles. Naz Reid's size and perimeter shooting will be valuable. The Hornets also secured Coby White, who signed a three-year, $74 million deal, and is a strong candidate to start in Ball's absence. The collective experience, defensive capabilities, toughness, 3-point shooting, and depth provided by Allen, O'Neale, and Finney-Smith are anticipated to strengthen the team. Financially, Charlotte is utilizing part of its $15 million non-tax midlevel exception for Finney-Smith, while preserving the $40.7 million trade exception created from the Ball trade.
Meanwhile, the Rockets' offseason also included signing Marcus Smart to a two-year, $13 million deal and Bogdan Bogdanovic to a one-year deal in free agency. Houston further solidified its roster by agreeing to a five-year, $81.5 million deal to retain restricted free agent Tari Eason.